Name: A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka
ISBN: 9780385537773

Lev Golinkin

A former Jewish refugee recounts his family's desperate flight from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and his personal quest to retrace their journey years later to thank the strangers who helped them. 25,000 first printing.

A Memoir

A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka

Kristen Claiborn

I have mentioned my Facebook book club many times, and this will be yet another one of those times. This book club focuses on a country or region, and we spend a few months reading both fiction and non-fiction from that country or region. November 2021 was Russia, and this was the memoir our fearless leader chose. I wouldn’t have even known of its existence had it not been for this book club, so yet again, I’m super glad I’m part of this group. 
	Despite all the books I have read, and the news I follow, it still blows my mind how much I DON’T know. I was not aware that millions of Jewish people fled Russia towards the end of the Cold War. There was an entire network of groups and humanitarian organizations set up to help these people get away from persecution and I had no idea…I was just living in my happy, blissfully ignorant bubble (to be fair, I was pretty young) not knowing that people like Lev were traipsing across parts of Europe relying on the good nature of complete strangers. It blew my mind the amount of effort and planning the family had to do to be able to leave the Soviet Union. It blew my mind the abuse they went through at the hands of the Soviet Union, and even when they got to the US how poorly they were treated. This family is a testament to perseverance. I thoroughly enjoyed Golinkin’s retelling of his family’s journey from Russia to the United States, and all the people they met along the way. 
	I don’t feel like I can write a review that does this book justice. Golinkin made me feel like I was there with his family throughout the entire journey, experiencing every day and every person alongside him. This book was an absolute joy to read and I highly recommend it!

A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka A Memoir

Reviews

Highlights